Remy Cointreau shares rise on bid talk April 4, 2014 French drinks company Remy Cointreau has seen its share price jump on the back of speculation that Jack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman is considering a bid for the company. Shares rose by 10 per cent but have now pared back to a more modest 3.8 per cent gain. According to the Betaville blog "tentative discussions have [...]
UK car registrations see strongest month in 10 years April 4, 2014 Car registrations are picking up speed, according to the latest SMMT data. They rose to 464,825 in March, a rise of 17.7 per cent on last month. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes says that's "a surprisingly strong level of growth and a reflection of intensifying consumer confidence". No surprise that March saw a lot of [...]
What investors are looking for in today’s US jobs report April 4, 2014 Stocks are moving higher ahead of this afternoon's US labour market report. The headline nonfarm payrolls number is what most investors are concerned with, and is expected to show that 200,000 jobs were added in the US this March. There's a continued debate as to whether the weakness in recent US data is down to [...]
House prices see third drop in 15 months April 4, 2014 House prices fell 1.1 per cent in March, according to the Halifax House Price Index. The fall marks only the third monthly drop in 15 months. Halifax pointed out that the monthly movements can be volatile and cited the three month-on-three month measure as a more reliable guide for underlying trends. House prices in the [...]
What you need to know before the open April 4, 2014 European markets are set to have a positive opening this morning as investors await what are widely expected to be encouraging job numbers from the US. Analysts estimate payrolls to rise by around 200,000, which may raise confidence in the strength of the US economy. However, a better than expected hike in payrolls may renew [...]
EasyJet passenger numbers continue to rise April 4, 2014 Budget airline EasyJet has announced a rise in passenger numbers of 4.8 per cent to 5.1m for March 2014. The FTSE 100 company enjoyed growth of 3.5 per cent to over 61m passengers for the 12 months ended March. Part of the company's growing popularity is attributable to the success of its new system of [...]
RBS snaps up Ewen Stevenson as new CFO April 4, 2014 The Royal Bank of Scotland has appointed Ewen Stevenson as the company's new chief finance officer (CFO). Stevenson joins the state-backed bank from Credit Suisse where he is co-head of EMEA Investment Banking and its Global Financial Institutions Group, Investment Banking division. Ross McEwan, RBS chief executive, commented on the appointment: I am pleased to [...]
Any Other Business – 04/04 April 4, 2014 The Bank of England published its records yesterday on the hundreds of clerks who were given “war leave” – many of whom returned to Threadneedle Street after 1918. One of those young men was Kenneth Peppiatt, aged 20 or 21 in 1914, who older readers may recognise from his signature on bank notes: Peppiatt became [...]
Asian markets fall as investors await US jobs data April 4, 2014 Asian markets are suffering a small decline as investors wait for US jobs data. Analysts estimate payrolls to rise by around 200,000, which may raise confidence in the strength of the US economy. However, a better than expected hike in payrolls may renew fears that the Federal Reserve will contemplate a rise in interest rates [...]
He’s back: Star stockpicker Neil Woodford returns to City in spectacular style April 3, 2014 THE MOST celebrated stock market guru in Britain made a bold step back into the fray yesterday after clinching a deal to manage more than £3.5bn of cash from one of the country’s biggest wealth managers. Money manager Neil Woodford, whose investment prowess would have turned £1,000 of cash in 1990 into £23,265 today, has [...]